Megève

Megève is one of the largest towns in France (third biggest bed base after Chamonix and La Plagne), with arguably the most to do, besides ski, of any French resort. Options include a casino, choice of four beauty farms, bridge club, bowling, concerts, conferences, ice shows and so on.

Here, you can purchase the Mont Blanc Unlimited lift pass, which encompasses one of the world’s biggest lift pass areas, all just one hour’s drive from Geneva airport. There is potential for skiing across three countries and 1,000km of pistes. From the area of Megeve, it provides access to the local lift-linked areas of Saint-Gervais and Combloux, but it also allows travel further afield to resorts such as Chamonix, Courmayeur (Italy) and a 50% reduction to Verbier Les 4 Vallées (Switzerland).

Megève itself has a charming medieval pedestrianised centre with bars, boutiques, a jazz club and casino. There are very few mass-market operators, because the hotels are small and individual and simply can’t accommodate hordes of guests. The resort has a reputation for being rather high-end, but will please skiers of all tastes.